AniFem Round-Up
To keep the readability of this page manageable, we’ll just link the landing page for the new spring premieres—you can check out everything we’ve done there.
What’s your most anticipated Spring 2026 anime?
…okay, what’s your second-most anticipated?
Beyond AniFem
Creators Speak Out After Go For it, Nakamura-kun!! Creator Syundei’s X Exodus (Anime News Network, Ken Iikura-Gross)
Artists from across the field, excerpted here, are speaking in support of Syundei.
When Go For It, Nakamura-kun! manga creator Syundei left X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday after dealing with alleged harassment, manga artistts, novelists, and other creators expressed their thoughts on the matter. While some did not explicitly mention Syundei by name, there were references to the matter in their respective posts. The topics ranged from censorship and criticism to freedom of expression and differences in cultures.
Miyuki Oshiro – Interview on Ikoku Nikki (Journal with Witch) (SHINSEIKI)
Translated interview with the director of Journal with Witch.
— Did you make any specific requests to them in regard of the voice acting?
As for Makio, I felt like at first her emotions were coming through a little too strongly in some places. Sawashiro-san is very charming and considerate, she’s a very nice person. On the other hand, Makio is blunt and easy to misunderstand. I imagine there are quite a few differences between Sawashiro-san and Makio, and probably many aspects of her character she had a hard time grasping. A few times, I asked her to dial her emotions back a little, but without feeling downright cold, while still having a mechanical quality to her acting. I understand it was a very difficult request.
— I think you made such a complex request precisely because you knew Sawashiro-san could pull it off.
You’re right. One that stands out in my memory is the desert imagery scene in episode 1. There’s a line that goes: “I get it. This is what they call… loneliness”, but with the initial take, I felt that in that moment, she was leaning a little too close to Asa. It’s not like Makio is pushing Asa away in that scene, but she’s not quite trying to get closer to her either. But the difference in nuance between “understanding” and “sympathy” is particularly different to evoke.
Sawashiro-san too was struggling to figure out how to express it. Then, Yamashita-sensei told her that “Makio was saying I see, not I understand”, and after hearing those words, Sawashiro-san‘s performance was truly magnificent!
Burn the Midnight Oil: A Supernatural Romance Visual Novel (Kickstarter)
The game has a downloadable demo and six days left to make its goal.
It’s the 80s. Supernaturals flock to the neon-soaked streets of North Haven, where they hide in plain sight amongst the ceaseless nightlife.
Playing as the flirtatious vampire detective, Circe or the brash hellhound cop, Dante, you must tackle cases that threaten to reveal dangerous secrets from our protagonists’ own pasts. In the end, it will be up to you and the choices you make whether Circe and Dante resist (or embrace) the darkness within their own hearts.
⚠ CONTENT WARNING: We recommend both the demo and the game for players 17 and older due to strong language, horror, suggestive content, and other themes which may be upsetting for some audiences. More extensive content warnings are available on the demo store pages and in-game.
Creating a Fanclub: Director Sou Toyama on Kirio Fan Club (Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman)
Short interview with the director of the currently-airing josei series.
One thing I really love about the original manga is that Aimi and Nami are not portrayed as “idealized high school girls.” Instead, they are depicted as slightly odd but lovable characters. In the anime adaptation, how are you thinking about expressing this charm? Also, are there any particular directing choices or techniques you are consciously using to highlight their slightly foolish and awkward, very teenage-like qualities?
Sō Toyama:You’re absolutely right — the most important thing, I believe, is not to exaggerate them, but to portray them realistically as ordinary high school girls.
For that reason, in the anime, we are trying to avoid typical exaggerated expressions often seen in animation, such as heavy deformation or symbolic visual effects, as much as possible.
Additionally, we are carefully and realistically directing each moment that highlights their awkwardness and their slightly foolish sides, making sure those traits feel natural and relatable rather than overly comedic.
How do you feel this work portrays adolescence as a stage of life? Do you think its depiction feels more realistic compared with other works?
TOYAMA: Yes, I believe it is portrayed very realistically.
Adolescence is a time when everyone begins to deeply question the meaning of their own existence and the purpose of their lives. I think this work is a very real story about boys and girls in adolescence, one that places a direct and honest focus on those feelings and experiences.
Witch Hat Atelier Is About Having Hope In An Insane World (Aftermath, Gita Jackson)
A spoiler-lite discussion of the early manga volumes.
Being an empathetic but naive child, Coco is most acutely distressed by the inability to use magic to heal, let alone use forbidden magic to save her mother. When she sees a character succumb to that temptation, she sits down on the ground and cries.
“Because none of this is your fault,” she says, wiping her tears and snot into her sleeve, “but you still have to suffer.”
By taking all the implications of its setting seriously, Witch Hat Atelier becomes a rich and layered story. It’s also one I cannot stop thinking about, given that my country is being steered into hell by an aspiring dictator with dementia. This week I sat for eight hours holding my breath, wondering whether or not the President actually meant it when he said he was going to destroy an entire civilization. I don’t know how many times I can do that before I have a heart attack. There’s gotta be a world after this madness, somehow. It makes me empathize with those old witches, who came to a deeply imperfect solution to stop the world from destroying itself.
And yet, Coco, our little witch, is still striving towards justice. She vows to save her mother, her friends, the entire world, but the right way, without using forbidden magic. That she even believes that’s possible is an inspiration for other characters, like her Master Qifrey, who have grown jaded after butting up against the margins of magical society. Maybe that’s the privilege afforded to the young, those who have not yet had their hearts broken by the world. I have found that it’s easy to slip into cynicism, especially when the world has been unfair to you.
Anime To Watch When On Bed Rest (Yatta-Tachi, AJ Mack)
A list including some excellent shojo for when recovering from illness.
I have personal lists specifically designed for this situation that I send out to friends and family. And now I am going to share them with all of you! These series all follow a basic set of rules:
- They are easily available on the two main anime streaming services: Crunchyroll and Netflix. Streaming is better than Blu-ray when sick because you don’t have to get up to change discs.
- They’re available with good-quality English dubs. This is so you don’t have to concentrate on reading whilst recovering. You can even watch without your eyes fully functioning!
- They’re not plot-heavy and have enough filler that you can drift in and out of sleep whilst watching. But they’re also engaging enough that you’re not gonna be bored out of your mind watching them.
- They’re actually something I watch whilst sick!
More women join volunteer fire units despite overall decline (The Asahi Shimbun, Hisaki Tamanaha and Misato Nara)
30% of Urayasu’s volunteer fire-fighting force is women, though women make up only 4.2% of the fire-fighting force nationwide.
The fire department also allowed female members to choose from either a weekday shift or holiday shift depending on their jobs, schoolwork, or child-rearing responsibilities.
Tomomi Takiguchi, a 38-year-old part-time worker who joined the unit five years ago, said she often shared what she did as a volunteer firefighter with her husband and daughter, who is a high school student.
“My family became more aware of the importance of preparing for a disaster since we talked about the need to have a backpack containing emergency relief goods at home and how to use an automatic external defibrillator,” she said.
The fire department has also put its back into establishing a social media presence. It began sharing what its crews were up to on Instagram a few years ago and set up a separate account for its all-women unit.
This account features videos on crew members undergoing training for water accidents and life-saving procedures as well as quizzes on disaster preparedness.
Yaya Sudo, 30, who is in charge of the unit’s social media content, said, “I am trying to convey both the tense atmosphere in which we train and relaxed vibe when we get together.”
Eight women, including a university student, joined the firefighting crew over the past three years since they were inspired by the unit’s activity featured on social media.
WIT Studio Apologizes for Using Generative AI in Opening Sequence of Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3 Anime (Anime News Network, Crystalyn Hodgkins)
Hopefully this willingness to reverse course on GenAI holds out in future.
Wit Studio revealed on Friday that it investigated its production process after the first episode of its Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke anime aired on April 4 and the studio received feedback on the episode, and found that in part of the opening sequence, the studio had used generative AI for some cuts in the background art.
The company will be redrawing the background art for the cuts that used generative AI, and will replace the opening sequence with a “completed version” starting with the second episode.
The company apologized, stating while it is interested in new technologies in video production, in principle it has not allowed use of generative AI in production of all its works, aside from the Inu to Shōnen work that was an experimental work meant to inspect certain technologies. The studio added that despite this, this situation occurred due to inadequacies in its production management and inspection systems, and it takes full responsibility.
Transgender politician files lawsuit over online abuse (The Asahi Shimbun, Ko Sendo)
The article replicates some of the transphobic insults targeted at assemblywoman Kawakami.
A transgender town assemblywoman has sued a man she says caused her severe psychological distress through his repeated discriminatory and inflammatory postings on social media.
Risa Kawakami, 43, an assembly member in Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, filed the lawsuit on April 13 at the Osaka District Court, seeking 2 million yen ($12,600) in damages from the man in his 50s who lives in Nagoya.
Kawakami said that between March and April last year, during the town assembly election campaign and immediately after she won a seat, the defendant posted 17 discriminatory and libelous messages about her on X and Facebook.
Expert: Sumo’s ban on women not always a tradition (The Asahi Shimbun, Chihiro Ara)
Excerpts from an interview with a cultural anthropologist.
Q: When did banning women from the dohyo spark controversy?
A: That was after a “wanpaku zumo” (children’s sumo tournament) held in 1978.
The JSA denied a girl who made it through the qualifying round from going to the Kuramae Kokugikan for the final match.
Mayumi Moriyama, then head of the Women’s and Minors’ Bureau at the Labor Ministry, felt pity and summoned a JSA director to ask him why women were prohibited from entering the dohyo and whether it was because they were considered “impure.”
The director answered that it was because only men were allowed to compete at the Grand Sumo Tournament, that the dohyo was a sacred place, and that he wanted to protect the tradition.
It was the first time the word “tradition” was used to explain the situation. It was the beginning of everything.
Moriyama later became the first female chief Cabinet secretary in 1989, and wanted to hand over the Prime Minister’s Cup at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in 1990 on behalf of the prime minister.
The JSA shot down her request, again citing “tradition.”
The topic of “women being barred from the dohyo” instantly spread through the mass media.
In 2018, when the male mayor of Maizuru (in Kyoto Prefecture) collapsed while giving a speech in the dohyo during a regional tour in the city, women were told through the PA system to stay out of the ring–even though they were providing emergency care. The incident went viral on social media, triggering a flood of criticism.
The JSA issued a statement of apology in the name of the chairman, saying it was an inappropriate response.
CHANGING TRADITION
Q: How do you think debates over the “men-only” tradition should be?
A: According to reports, it seems the JSA’s inquiry commission on women and the dohyo has yet to reach a conclusion or compile guidelines.
Tradition is not necessarily something that remains unchanged. Rather, it is something that has been practiced for generations as it gradually changes itself to correspond to the flow of the times.
It must be revised all the time.
Dr. Stone artist Boichi says that mangakas’ fixation on Shonen Jump might negatively impact the creative diversity of the industry in the long run (Automaton, Carlos “Zoto” Zotomayor)
If one magazine is seen as the ultimate peak of artistic achievement, one tends to avoid trying concepts that don’t fit within the purview of that magazine.
While Boichi is not denouncing Shonen Jump in any capacity, he thinks that there is a risk of the manga scene becoming oversaturated with works that resemble those from the weekly anthology series, especially considering that Shonen Jump has been glorified as the “ultimate goal” of many aspiring mangakas. But Boichi believes that, rather than as a final “goal,” Shonen Jump is merely the “result” of the industry’s evolution over the decades. “If all the works being produced resemble those from Shonen Jump—in art style, characters, themes, storytelling, or ideas—then what is the value of producing 10,000 or even 50,000 such works every year? That would be nothing less than a disaster,” he comments.
Boichi argues that the key to building “a strong and vibrant manga industry” lies in further diversifying the medium. Manga is strongly “IP-oriented,” with mangakas serving as creators of IPs which other forms of media, like animation and film, often draw inspiration from. Thanks to its solo-creator-oriented nature, Boichi says that manga as a medium has endless possibilities to convey the “diversity in style, subject matter, thought and life experience,” which is what helped Shonen Jump titles become so well known and loved in the first place.
As an example, one of the manga Boichi deeply loves and continues to bring up during conversations is an unnamed title about raising cows, which was created by an author who loves and cares for the animals in real life. In this sense, believes mangaka should not be afraid to create something personal to them, and if they embrace the medium’s potential to the fullest, the final result will be unique and resonate better with readers.
Tokyopop Offers Public Stock Shares With Goal to Raise US$1.2 Million (Updated) (Anime News Network, Alex Mateo)
This is different from going public; rhe shares do not come with voting rights.
In addition to seeking the maximum investment amount of about US$1.2 million, the company is pursuing up to US$50 million in annual revenue by 2030. The company currently earns an annual revenue of about US$15 million. As of February 28, Tokyopop has an aggregate of approximately US$1,084,720 in cash and cash equivalents.
According to the independent accountants’ review report, Tokyopop “has incurred losses from operations and has experienced negative cash flows from operating activities.” In addition, the accountants expressed substantial doubt about Tokyopop’s ability to continue.
Tokyopop lists that its future plans include expanding its publishing and IP pipeline, saling anime produciton partnerships, growing merchandising and direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels, and developing live experiences and exhibitions. According to the company, the investment proceeds will go towards intermediary fees, core publishing, anime production, merchandising, and live experiences.
Every Tokyopop shareholder automatically becomes a member of the Tokyopop Owners Club (TOC). Membership includes a personalized digital stock certiciate, a membership card, one complimentary Tokyopop product each year, early access windows for select new releases, owners-only editions, custom releases, behind-the-scenes access to Tokyopop’s team, and an invitation ot the Annual Virtual Owners Town Hall with Tokyopop’s leadership team.
Esquire AI-Generated A Fake Interview With Live-Action One Piece Actor Mackenyu Because He Was Busy (Kotaku, Lewis Parker)
No word yet on whether Mackenyu intends to press charges or what avenues would be available to him.
Reading through the “interview” itself, which Esquire notes “was produced with Claude, Copilot, and edited by humans,” feels like a fever dream. AI Mackenyu is asked a breadth of vague and ridiculous questions, like how he (it?) deals with “pressure and expectations” and feelings of “disillusionment,” and the AI responds exactly how you’d expect it would: by throwing out non-committal answers and referencing things with absolutely zero context.
Also, hey, Esquire: maybe you shouldn’t have published the bit where AI Mackenyu talks about the pressures of living up to his deceased father, the legendary action star Sonny Chiba, and how it wants “to make him proud,” because that’s incredibly fucked up. I mean, really, you shouldn’t have published this at all, but you definitely shouldn’t have published that specific bit.
As you would obviously expect, Mackenyu’s fans aren’t taking the article very well. “I’m disappointed Esquire SG wrote an entire AI interview to replace Macken’s response,” writes one fanpage on X. “I doubt they did this with his consent. Was it impossible to publish the [photo] shoot without his interview?! Please keep in mind these answers are not his.”
Japan hotel with ex-Takarazuka Revue star as manager marks 100th anniv. with diverse plans (The Mainichi, Satoko Suizu)
The article is mainly an ad, but it seems like a cool place to visit.
Takarazuka Hotel opened in 1926 and moved to its current location adjacent to the Grand Theater in June 2020. Exhibits and decorations related to the Takarazuka Revue are found throughout the property, making it a place where theatergoers can enjoy “a continuation of the dream” after watching performances.
Toka built her career in the Revue as a “musumeyaku,” or female role performer, and left the troupe in November 2018 when she was head of the Moon Troupe. She became general manager at the hotel in April 2020. During her troupe days, she felt the hotel had a strong image as “the hotel of the Revue,” but once she began working there she came to feel that “its ties with the community are strong and it is truly loved.”
From May 1 through July 31 this year, the hotel is offering plans designed to express love and gratitude toward the local area and it is currently accepting reservations.
One such plan is a collaboration featuring characters created by the late Osamu Tezuka, known as the “god of manga.” Tezuka had close ties to the hotel, including holding his wedding there, and he even featured it in his manga “Dr. Thrill.” The hotel is offering an accommodation plan that includes a special card key designed with characters such as Astro Boy, known in Japan as “Tetsuwan Atom,” with single rooms starting at 9,000 yen (approx. $57) per person per night. The plan also comes with an admission ticket to the nearby city-run Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum.
SHORT: Coming out as asexual thanks to manga.
VIDEO: Shojo titles to try if you’re a fan of the current big shonen hits.
VIDEO: Making food from Witch Hat Atelier.
VIDEO: On Black hairstyles in video games.
THREAD: Addressing misinformation about how “transgender” is abbreviated in Japan (requires logging in).
https://bsky.app/profile/mishimakitan.bsky.social/post/3mj27g4c54s27
THREAD: Announcement of the Toxic Yuri Visual Novel Jam.
waow. toxic yuri vn jam TWO. this time with a combined of $6000 in prices, were strapping a bomb collar on every participant that only unlocks once you release a yummy toxic yuri visual novel. this is a beginner friendly jam. come make your first vn now! itch.io/jam/toxic-yu… #TOXICYURIVNJAM
— princess online (@nadianova.fi) April 7, 2026 at 1:41 PM
[image or embed]
AniFem Community
Some real potential sleeper hits this season!
Witch Hat was a given, but Akane-banashi's premiere was an extremely pleasant surprise
— Spiritus Nox (@spiritusnox.bsky.social) April 8, 2026 at 8:39 PM
[image or embed]
Witch Hat Atelier Akane-banashi Ascendance of a Bookworm Daemons of the Shadow Realm Dorohedoro
— Samceptions (@samception.bsky.social) April 7, 2026 at 11:27 AM
[image or embed]
Comments are open! Please read our comments policy before joining the conversation and contact us if you have any problems.